Canada



l. M. MELLIS AND C. A. SPLAYFORD.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FDR ROAD VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 19H.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. MELLIS AND CHARLES A. -$PLAYFORD, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR FOR ROAD-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 18, 1919.

Application filed November 27, 1917. Serial No. 204,224.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'we, JAMES M. MELLIS and CHARLES A. Srmvronn, citizens of the Dominion of Canada, residing atYancou- \'er, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and iiseiul Improvements in" Direction-Indicators foriR'oad-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a direction indicator for use on self-propelled vs-v hicles to indicate to the pointsi'n .at a

crossing or to adjacent vehicles' adesire or intention to turiu The device comprises a sema here pi'v tall mounte'd oh one or both sifis', pref an; "of'the' wind-shield, to turn on a vertical axis from a normal position indicating the forward direction to right or left as the case may require.

As city traffic regulations generally call for the driver of a vehicle to indicate the direction of a desired or intended turn by the hand, this semaphore is sha at night the semaphore itself carries a lamp, the light from which is reflected on both surfaces of the hand which are white enameled or otherwise reflecting. While the light is reflected on both faces of the hand, it is shielded from direct view from either face but the shield has a red lens on each side, so that when the semaphore is turned prior to turning the vehicle at a crossing the white hand shows conspicuously and the red light indicating danger is shown adjacent. This semaphore is manipulated by the hand of the driver and simultaneously with movement of it to either side electrical connection is made in an alarm bell circuit to ring a hell or gong and such will continue to ring until the turn havin been efi'ected the semaphore arm is returns to its strai ht ahead position and the bell circuit opene The invention is particularly described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the attachment of the semaphore indicator to the frame of the wind-shield and the operating mechanism to the steering wheel standard of a car.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same.

Fig. 3. a sectional plan of the flexible line connection of the operative mechanism to the scnulphore spindle.

' sent a hand, and to render the l= ni b tis1blo Fig. l is an end view of the semaphore hand.

The indicating semaphore is preferably contoured to represent a hand and the fingers 2 may be embossed to impart a measure of ri idity to it, thus enabling it to be made 0 very light thin metal. That portion of it adjacent the wrist is made in two pieces which are bent outward from one another to form a shield 3 for the lamp 5 which is inserted between them, and one of these sides is hinged as at 4 to afford access ,to thejlam etc. 0? this shield portion 3, which is immediately adjacent the fingers 2, a lens or refiectin prisms 6 are secured to reflect the light 0 the lamp 5 upon each face of the hand portion 2, which faces are enameled white to show up distinctly under the light so directed on them. Red glasses 7 are inserted in each side of the lamp shield 3 that wi ll draw attention forward and aft iflfi'fihd' 1 inc to the danger of approach while the semaphore is turned to the right or left.

This semaphore 23 is secured on a stem 8 which is mounted to turn on a vertical axis in bearings formed in a bracket 9 removably clamped in any convenient manner tothe frame 10 of the wind-shield. The lower end of the stem 8 is produced below the bearing bracket 9 and on it is secured a grooved sheave or segment 11 to the arc of which is secured at 12 a flexible line 13.

Both ends of this flexible line 13 are led through a small tubular duct 14 and are connected to a similar sheave or segment secured on a handle lever 15 which is mounted on a pivot 16 in a bracket 17 secured on the steerin wheel standard 19 or other part of the ve iole convenient to the hand of the driver.

By this handle lever 15 the semaphore 2-3 is retained in the normal position, that is, in the direction of movement of the vehicle, or may be turned through an arc of ninety degrees to either side. The bracket 17 may have notches 18 to arrest and retain the handle lever in the required positions, or it may be preferable to have these retaining notches on the bracket of the semaphore arm itself.

That an audible signal may be given of the vehicles wish or intention to turn, an electric boll circuit '30 21, shown diagrammatically in Figs. 1 and 2, is connected at 22 to the semaphore 32 which is insulated from the bracket in which it is mounted and at 23 to an adjacent contact on the bracket or housing of the mechanism, which contact connection is in the path of a resilient contact 24 on the semaphore arm, so that when the arm is in the normal or forwardly directed position the bell circuit is open, but when moved to ninety degrees from that position to indicate an intended change of diiection, the bell circuit is closed and the hell will continue to ring until the semaphore is returned to its normal position after the turning has been effected.

This alarm not only serves to intimate to the pointsman or to any adjacent vehicle or pedestrian that the vehicle intends to turn but insures that the signal will be returned to its normal position after the turn has been affected.

We do not desire to be confined to the exact construction of the semaphore aim here set forth or to the exact means i11us= trated for mounting and operating the Same, although we consider that the manner here shown is both simple, effective and inexpensive. \Ve believe that the essence of the invention chiefly resides in the particular manner of delivering the light on both faces of the semaphore arm.

Having now particularly described our invention, We hereby declare that what we claim as new and desire to he protected in by Letters: Patent, is:

A direction indicator comprising a lamp, a shield pivotally mounted to turn on a vertical axis and inclosing the lamp on all sides except that opposite the pivot, a rtion projecting in a vertical plane from t 1e midwidth of the open end of the shield, a refracting prism located Within the shield at each side of such projecting portion and in the front of the lamp for focusing the rays of the lamp directly on the sides of said projecti portion, and means for turning the shiei d on its pivot.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatui'es.

' J i M. MELLIS.

ES A. SPLAYFORD. 

